F1: Q&A with Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton arrived at Interlagos in relaxed mood on Thursday, after spending a couple of days acclimating to Brazil on his first trip to the country. On Sunday he faces the biggest test of his career, but in the mean time he met with the media (alongside his two title rivals) to discuss the weekend ahead.

Q: Lewis, a brand new circuit for you. Have you walked around it and principally have you tried it on the simulator?

"I literally got here to the track an hour ago and I've not yet had the time to walk it, but I will do after this and no, I've not been on the simulator."

Q: Would the simulator help?

"If it did I would have done it."

Q: So you don't really feel it's that much of a help.

"I think the first computer game that I played, the first race was Brazil, so I have an idea where it goes and it's always one of my favorites. Most of the time (it's) the end-of-season race, and so I have a really good idea of where the corners are and I'm looking forward to getting out there."

Q: What was the recovery process after China and how have you built yourself up for this race?

"Pretty much the same as always: I went home and just had a little bit of time at home. My family had planned a little trip, so they went away, so I didn't really have much time with them but I had time to just relax at my real home, my parents' house, did some good training, made sure I was physically fit for this weekend as this is an anti-clockwise circuit, so it's a little bit harder on the other side of your neck and just feeling fresh. If anything, I just feel a bit more relaxed this weekend, quite a bit more relaxed than I did at the last race."

Q: What do you do extra for an anti-clockwise circuit?

"It's only for your neck, so you can only just do a little bit more work than for the other side. Usually it's the right side you're working on. You don't start lifting the heaviest weights ever for your neck or anything, you just need to do a little more work to keep it fresh, so you don't go out on Friday and the next day feel it."

Q: You guys (Hamilton and Fernando Alonso) have had your ups and downs this year. Coming to the season finale, how would you describe your relationship?

"I think it's as good as ever. I think we have got on quite well all year, despite what the media says. They always try to make a big gap between us and they haven't really succeeded. We just get on quite well and got on with our jobs and we continue to do that."

Q: Did what happened in China make you more nervous and what will it mean to you if you can finally come through and win on this, the last race in your first season?

"It definitely didn't make me more nervous. If anything, it took the pressure off my shoulders and I think I came out of it even stronger. I thought it would knock my confidence and put me back on my back foot but I went away and I thought about the weekend and I feel I'm even stronger than I was, for whatever reason. It was a good learning experience. Coming here, I feel a lot different compared to the last race. The last race was always... all the pressure was building up and everything was going on, on the Thursday and Friday, and it wasn't a great weekend, but I feel totally relaxed now and fully confident in the team and our ability to challenge for the title."

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Q: Are you already imagining yourself standing on the podium, winning, with the champagne going and everything?

"No. I think if you do that you get too ahead of yourself and that's when you can make mistakes."

Q: Both of you [Hamilton and Alonso] have spoken in the past about Ayrton Senna being a great inspiration for you, probably in both of your cases, part of the reason why you're driving for McLaren today. Could you talk about when you come to this track and we're in Senna's heartland, do you have any spiritual connection to him at all?

"I won't say I have a spiritual connection with him but for me, it's just an unusual experience because all the years I've been watching Formula 1 and literally from the beginning of my karting career I've had books on Senna, I've had videos and "Racing's in My Blood" and all the other videos, and to watch them and seeing him in his home country and seeing how people see him over here, and how he is over here, and finally to come into this country, the first time in Brazil to realize that I'm on his home turf and where his final resting place is - it's quite touching. Knowing that my hotel is only a couple of miles from where he is; that's the closest I've ever been to him. It's quite an unusual experience for me."

Q: You said that after this event you may go to Senna's grave maybe on Monday. Is that still your plan or have you already been there?

"I haven't been there and it hasn't crossed my mind to be honest. I doubt very much I will go, because I will be followed.... So I'll have to leave that for another trip."

Q: How do you prepare for a race like this psychologically? It must be a very big moment to approach in your career. Have you used a psychologist?

"No. I've never used a psychologist. I don't really know the answer to that because I have never been in this position before, trying to win the World Championship... I think you just have to treat it as you usually do. I want to win, but as Fernando says, sometimes you have to be conservative and the only thing I can do is look at what he has done for the last few years and what Michael did in previous years and try to learn something from their strengths or weaknesses and I am going to do the same job as always and try to stay on the track this time!"

Q: Will it make extra special for you if you can win the title and England win the Rugby World Cup on Saturday? What impact will it have on the country? And what will it mean to you if England can do it?

"It is one of the best times for our country and I am proud and pleased to be in that sort of position where I can do something. I really want them to win. I watched the last game and I had a great time with a few friends and one said France are going to win and I said "no way!' and it was just amazing to see the spirits of the guys and how they came back. And I was also interested to see they are going to watch "Cool Runnings" for inspiration before their last game. I watched it recently as well. We are all going to try the best we can and it is going to be something special to have the honour to do it on a similar day."

Q: In China I asked you if you wanted a storm to come and for the race to be canceled. Looking back would you have hoped for it to have come and how much more difficult is it now?

"As I said before, I really enjoy racing and whether you finish or you don't finish as long as you do all your preparation, you just want to complete the race. Whether you finish first or last. And this weekend I hope the weather is good. I know the weather has not always been brilliant for previous races here in Brazil, but I heard it hadn't rained here for about two months or something and then as soon as I arrived it rained. I obviously brought it with me from the UK. We want to have a good race this weekend."

Q: Has it seemed a longer season than normal?"It is my first season in Formula 1, so it has seemed a very long season to me and different to anything I have experienced before, but I am enjoying it. I am looking forward to more races in the future."

Q: Looking back to the Belgian Grand Prix, this is a pretty difficult first corner here and obviously Kimi (Raikkonen) would love it if you took each other off and is that a scenario you have thought of or is it something you have to discuss to make sure it doesn't?

"We are professional racing drivers and I think obviously we don't want to crash with any of the drivers not just us. Neither of us wants to crash on Sunday. For me, going into that first corner you go in there ideally wanting to take the lead or to gain a place but without taking too many risks. In our own experience we know what too much of a risk is and what too little is... I don't feel we are going to have any problems."